Vilsandi
Sign in to saveThe island of Vilsandi in Saaremaa Parish of Estonia's Saare County is located in the Baltic Sea. It covers an area of some 9 square km and is the westernmost populated island in Estonia. The surrounding waters are shallow and rocky and many ships travelling the Baltic have perished nearby. The island of Vilsandi can be reached by boat, by truck having suitable clearance or on foot by wading from Saaremaa, which is Estonia's largest island. Much of the island is now part of Vilsandi National Park, which grew from a bird reserve founded in 1910. It is a highly sensitive ecosystem due to the use
Key facts
- Islands.name
- Vilsandi
- Islands.image_map
- Vilsandi-pos.jpg
- Islands.map_caption
- Location of Vilsandi in Estonia.
- Islands.location
- Baltic Sea (Atlantic Ocean)
- Islands.archipelago
- West Estonian archipelago
- Islands.area_km2
- 9.4
- Islands.elevation_m
- 4.5
- Islands.population
- 22
- Islands.population_as_of
- 2017
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
10 sectionsContents
- History
- World War I
- World War II
- Today
- Climate
- Notable residents
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- External links
The island of Vilsandi in Saaremaa Parish of Estonia's Saare County is located in the Baltic Sea. It covers an area of some 9 square km and is the westernmost populated island in Estonia. The surrounding waters are shallow and rocky and many ships travelling the Baltic have perished nearby. The island of Vilsandi can be reached by boat, by truck having suitable clearance or on foot by wading from Saaremaa, which is Estonia's largest island. Much of the island is now part of Vilsandi National Park, which grew from a bird reserve founded in 1910. It is a highly sensitive ecosystem due to the use of the area by many migratory birds as a breeding and nesting ground. Hunting is absolutely prohibited. This park is a popular tourist destination not only for local Estonians, but also people of Finland who are visiting Estonia in greater and greater numbers.
==History== In 1703, a ship owned by Dutchman Johann Doll ran aground and sank in the Baltic Sea. Doll managed to get ashore to a nearby island and named the island “Felsland” meaning rocky island. He stayed to live there and, over time, Doll's farm became known in Estonian as Tolli talu (farm) and Felsland became known as Vilsandi.